We can predict future ecosystems based on current observations.
Consider a mature oak forest, for example.
Looking at an oak forest today, we might hope that conditions will remain stable for many years. Any native plant enthusiast will tell you that oak forests are repositories of biodiversity. Without oaks, other organisms that depend on oaks suffer.
But a quick glance at mature oak forests today tells us that significant changes are occurring. These changes, it turns out, aren’t particularly favorable to oaks.
Ecologists are worried about something that’s occurring underneath the towering oaks. This phenomenon has been happening to oak forests for the past 100 years. According to ecologists, it will persist without active management.
In the following video, I address this important ecological issue.